By Marina Khidekel, Head of Content Development at Thrive\nGlobal<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s normal to experience feelings of anxiety, uncertainty,\nand even grief during this coronavirus pandemic, but adjusting to our new\nnormal starts with the small ways we can slowly start to shift our mindset away\nfrom fear and towards hope and optimism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We asked our Thrive community to share the small ways\nthey\u2019ve been able to reframe a negative mindset during this challenging time.\nWhich of these techniques will you use the next time you feel negativity take\nover?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tap into your support system<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have a friend I\u2019ve known since we were five years old,\nand we\u2019ve supported each other every step of the way. Recently, she\u2019s been\nworried, knowing this is a challenging time for me. She sent me a packet of quotes that she\ncreated \u2014 each on a small slip of colored paper, focused on resilience and\ntrust. I have them sitting right by my keyboard, and every day I read one and\nput it on the top of the stack to glance at throughout the day. Every time I\nsee them, I am reminded that I have a truly amazing support system. That\nreminder always helps me reframe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014Martha Fluke, customer experience, St. Louis, MO<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Give yourself a pep talk<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI believe in the power of self-talk, both in terms of the\nwords we say to ourselves and how we say them. When we\u2019re afraid or hurting, we\noften say critical or fear-invoking things to ourselves and speak in a fast and\nelevated tone. In moments of antagonistic thinking, if I catch my mind\nattempting to ruminate or catastrophize, I calmly tell myself, \u2018Stop. Thinking\nthis way is not helping you.\u2019 I also ask myself what I can control in the given\nsituation, and tell myself, \u2018You\u2019re resilient. You\u2019ve come through tough things\nbefore. You\u2019ll do it again. You\u2019ve got this.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014Dr. Colleen\nGeorges, coach and author, Piscataway, NJ<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Hit your mental \u201cdelete\u201d button<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSince our brains sometimes work like computers and accept\ninstructions, I like to press my mental \u2018delete\u2019 button when negative thoughts\nstart to appear. If they become more\nuncomfortable and consistent, I consciously command \u2018Delete, delete, delete.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014Loreta Pivoriunaite, performance strategist, Lithuania <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Laugh<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI believe it is crucial to search for emotional medicine in\na time when we are distanced \u2014 which is why belly laughs or simply chuckles can\nbe so powerful. I\u2019ve been using gentle humor by poking fun at myself on social\nmedia postings I call the \u2018Hell Has Frozen Over Chronicles.\u2019 I poke fun at\nmyself for doing new things which I thought or swore I would never do, and I\nnow find myself doing. Some examples have been ironing cloth napkins, polishing\nsilver, doing home workouts, or simply washing food storage bags. Looking at\nthe lighter side of our stay-at-home activities has become a moment of laughter\nmedicine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014Deborah Cole, photographer, writer, and speaker, Austin,\nTX<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Carve out \u201cremembering time\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen I\u2019m stuck in a negative space, I set aside time to do\nnothing but remember. I keep a running list of moments and memories that make\nme smile on my phone, and I glance at\nthis list when I need to. Some of these are touching moments, some of these are\naccomplishments, but the vast majority are the times I\u2019ve laughed with friends.\nYou\u2019d be surprised how many of these memories get buried and how useful it is\nto bring them to the surface all at once. \nEven now, I can look at the list and be surprised and think \u2018Oh yeah \u2014\nthat one!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014Gail Leicht, travel series author, Mahwah, NJ<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Repeat a calming mantra <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhile most of my calm during these crazy times has come\nfrom staying off of social media and only checking in selectively, my inner\nmantra actually came from an Instagram post in a friend\u2019s feed. She wasn\u2019t the\noriginal writer, but the post read, \u2018You are not stuck at home, you are safe at\nhome.\u2019 One word can make all the difference and can change your viewpoint. I am\nliving in a foreign country right now, and have no idea when I\u2019ll be able to\nsee friends or family again. As someone who used to decompress from the\nstressors of life by traveling, it\u2019s been difficult being stuck at home for\nwhat is now 36 days. But when I get cranky, frustrated, or feel downright\nhopeless, I find that I\u2019m able to course-correct by repeating that simple\nsentence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014Mashon Thomas, entrepreneur, Quito, Ecuador<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Send flowers to a friend<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis past Sunday, I created small floral bouquets for\nfriends and left them as surprises on their doorsteps. I took a painting that\nhad been waiting in my studio and loaned it to a friend. They were overjoyed\nwith the surprises and the small bit of new beauty in their day. This is\nsomething all of us can do: make something beautiful, give it to a friend, and\ncount your acts of kindness. Research indicates that recounting your own acts\nof kindness can make you happier.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014Kristina Libby, chief science officer at Hypergiant and\nartist, Brooklyn, NY<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Call your family<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have benefited tremendously from stronger connections\nwith my adult children and grandchildren. I have found that they are more\navailable to just talk without the usual haste, and without having any specific\ngoals other than sharing the experience. \nThis has been especially fun with my 11 year-old grandson, who will fill\nme full of his experiences and observations without the same adult filters that\nmy children apply. When the mood strikes me, I will just pick up my phone and\ncall him. This is not something that I did before the lockdown and I hope that\na new habit will carry on after this ends.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014Bruce A. McIlnay, attorney, Grafton, WI<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Start a celebration jar<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI used to be a worrier, and in difficult times I would get\ncaught up in negativity. In order to change that, I began keeping a celebration\njar to remind myself to focus on what\u2019s going right instead of worrying about\nwhat\u2019s going wrong. Every time I experience a win, no matter how small, I write\nit down and place it in my celebration jar. This practice elicits\nself-compassion and reminds me to always be kind to myself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014Levantay Vanessa,\nassociate professor, San Diego, CA<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Adjust your expectations<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShifting expectations has been the key to keeping my\nsanity. Those expectations include: what I can get done in a day, how well my\nchild will listen, how much effort goes into making dinner, how rational and\npragmatic others around me will be, and, most of all, an understanding that\nthere is almost no chance everyone in this house and everyone at my company is\ngoing to have a good day, all at once. Whenever I feel frustrated, I take a\ndeep breath or a quick walk and adjust my expectations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014Kate Weidner, agency CEO, Chicago<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Try the \u201crelease and relax\u201d technique <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOne of my go-to techniques for managing stress under this\nquarantine is to stop and say \u2018release\u2019 in my head when I feel anxious. Then, I\nrelax my jaw and shoulders, and stop my mind from spiraling. I release the\ntension from each body part and feel relief takes its place. When I feel\nbetter, I move on to whatever activity I need to do next. This is also a great\npractice for whenever you move from one room of the house to another. I\nrecommend doing this \u2018release and relax\u2019 technique as much as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014Farrah Smith, coach, Los Angeles, CA<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Create a gratitude list<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhenever I start to feel I\u2019m falling down the hole of\nnegativity, I reset by going into a gratitude rant, where I list all I have and\nall I am grateful for. This exercise shifts my mindset to one of appreciation\nand connection for how truly fortunate I am. I have health, food, a safe home,\nresources, and support. These are things that I can no longer take for granted.\nI also find that I end up feeling more compassionate for others as a result of\nbeing in a place of gratitude.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014Karla Kueber, EFT practitioner, Chicago, IL <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Focus on one small thing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI find that focusing on one small action helps me get\nthrough feelings of overwhelm, anxiety, and paralysis from fear. I decide on\none very small action I can take at that moment and put my attention toward it.\nSlowly, I lose myself in that task. When I complete my task, I take a break,\nclose my eyes, take a few deep breaths, and release all tension before moving\non. Staying connected with my purpose for serving my community helps me stay\nfocused and productive.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014Milena Regos, creator of Unhustle, Lake Tahoe, NV<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Try a breathing exercise<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe technique I use to course-correct from stress and\nanxiety is my daily meditation practice. I set a timer for 12-15 minutes, and\nfocus on a mantra to ensure my mind doesn\u2019t go wandering down anxiety avenue. I\nalso use a breathing technique from Dr. Andrew Weil. It\u2019s a 4-7-8 pattern,\nwhere you inhale through and exhale for a couple rounds to calm your mind. I do this just before bed, and any time I\nfeel a spike of anxiety.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014Johanna Lyman, culture and leadership development\nconsultant, San Jose, CA<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Use visualization<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI use visualization to reframe my thoughts when I feel\nanxious. I don\u2019t imagine pictures, but rather, I imagine colors and words. So\nif I find myself feeling overwhelmed with negative thoughts, I will visualize\nthe words I\u2019m thinking, or put my feelings into words and colors. It always\nworks for me!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014Tessa Hull, success coach, Manchester, UK<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Hone in on a future feeling<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOne of the techniques I\u2019ve found helpful in dealing with\nanxiety in uncertain situations is to remind myself that feelings change. When\nthe anxiety kicks in, I focus on the feeling I\u2019ll start to feel when things\nchange and get better. I usually write down the changes that I am anticipating\nby saying something like, \u2018When this is over, I will feel\u2026\u2019 It also helps to\nremember situations from the past that were similar in nature, and how those\nanxieties changed and eased over time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014Armida Markarova, professional coach and conflict\nresolution mediator, Chicago, IL <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Have a moment of acceptance <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt is so easy to wallow in negativity right now, but to get\nout of that mode, I\u2019ve let myself say honestly, \u2018This sucks.\u2019 Sometimes it\ndoes, and pretending otherwise doesn\u2019t usually help me. But then I find solace\nin the fact that I cannot change it. In life, my biggest stressors tend to come\nfrom feeling that I can or should be doing more about a difficult situation.\nHere, I can\u2019t do much about the pandemic except to do my part to stay home and\nsocial distance. Something about having less control is actually comforting in\na way. I certainly can\u2019t fix it myself, which takes some pressure off of me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014Deb Gordon, author and health care expert, Cambridge, MA<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ask yourself how you can see this differently <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOne tip that works for me is to stop, take a breath, and\nask myself how I can see the situation differently. This strategy, although\nsimple, is one which provokes awareness alongside the opportunity to open the\nheart, and quiet the stories of our minds. By asking how can I see this\ndifferently, you move from a fixed mindset to one of opportunity and\npossibility. You challenge your mind to consider other options, perceptions and\nopinions which in turn creates space for awareness to emerge. It also allows\nyou a second chance to consider the current situation or experience, thus\nproviding movement to a situation where you may have previously felt stuck.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014Nicola Codling, NHS worker and coach, Mistley, Essex, UK<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Try the \u201crule of ten\u201d exercise<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen dark thoughts or fear start to creep up, I use the\n\u2018rule of ten.\u2019 I ask myself: \u2018Is this going to matter in ten days, ten weeks,\nten months, or ten years?\u2019 This question helps me to gain perspective and\nrealize that time heals everything. It also reminds me that we often get upset\nover things that are not that important when considering the bigger picture.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014Jelena Radonjic,\nfounder and career coach, London, UK <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Exchange \u201cI have to\u201d for \u201cI get to\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI used to hate going to the gym, but I still went as part\nof my daily routine to stay healthy. When the coronavirus crisis began, there\nwas a period in the beginning when I had to decide on whether or not to keep my\nplans to go to the gym while it was still open. I had tickets to see a concert\nand decided to skip that before the venue announced that the show was\ncancelled, but I still went to the gym, making sure to wipe down all the\nequipment I used. Finally, the gym closed and I had a get-out-of-jail-free\ncard! I didn\u2019t have to go anymore \u2014 but much to my surprise, I missed it. The\ndiscipline had turned into a habit and was harder to break than I would have\nimagined. I thought about my gym mindset, and realized I don\u2019t have to go; I\nget to go. Now that I see the gym that way, I\u2019m challenging myself to apply my\nnew orientation early and often.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014Dena Lefkowitz, Esq., lawyer and coach, PA<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Watch an inspiring movie<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCinema is what I turn to when I feel hopeless. There is\nalways hope in film. Even in the saddest stories, something remains with us\nthat allows for an emotional escape. I just watched the series Unorthodox on\nNetflix, and re-read the book as well, which tells the true-life story of a\nwoman who escapes from a claustrophobic community in Brooklyn to find both\nfreedom and her own self in Berlin. If she can muster up the courage to hope,\nthen I definitely need to try to stay positive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014E. Nina Rothe,\nculture journalist and blogger, New York, NY<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Add \u201cyet\u201d to the end of your sentence<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOne small thing I\u2019ve been doing to reset my mindset when I\nstart to think about all the things I can\u2019t do right now is to simply add the\nword \u2018yet\u2019 the end of the sentence. For example, rather than thinking \u2018I can\u2019t\ngo on vacation,\u2019 I think \u2018I can\u2019t go on vacation yet.\u2019 That little change is\nenough to help me reframe my mindset.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014Becky Morrison, executive coach, Ashburn, VA<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Identify the underlying belief<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOne of the best ways to reframe a negative mindset during a\nchallenging time is first to notice it, and without shaming or blaming\nyourself, identify the underlying thought or belief. For example, if you find\nyourself feeling down about finances, you might identify the underlying belief,\n\u2018I will never have enough.\u2019 This may feel impossible to change, but one easy\nthing you can do is to question it, thus allowing your brain to start\nidentifying the positive things that are happening in the current moment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014Stacey Hagen, coach and consultant, San Francisco, CA<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" If you\u2019re feeling overwhelmed or anxious, these techniques can help you shift gears. By Marina Khidekel, Head of Content Development at Thrive Global It\u2019s normal to experience feelings of anxiety, uncertainty, and even grief during…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1273,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[10],"tags":[323],"class_list":["post-1272","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","tag-negative-mindset"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/towncryyers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Photo-by-SHTTEFAN-on-Unsplash.jpg?fit=1024%2C599&ssl=1\")
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